Dance alliance invites participants to ‘Day of Dance’

HARTFORD — The Connecticut Dance Alliance (CDA) will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr Day of Dance Monday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at CREC’s Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, 15 Vernon St., and is open to anyone with prior dance experience.

The CDA’s Annual Martin Luther King Day of Dance honors the teachings and legacy of Dr. King as well at the abundant African American contributions to the world of dance. This year’s theme - Legends, Legacy and Lineage focuses on dance classes in many forms including ballet, modern dance, AfroCaribbean, stilt walking and jazz. The event also infuses elements of collaboration, history and educating the participants on the experiences of people of color in the dance world.

The cost is $25 for members of the CDA, $35 for non-members. The day includes two 1.5 hour long Master classes in your choice of technique: Ballet, Horton, Fosse, Graham, Afro Caribbean or Introduction to Stilt Walking; a panel discussion with the guest artists; high school students should bring their own lunch and have the option to participate in a “Dancing in College” discussion; adults can join the CDA’s regional meeting. Lunch is provided.

Guest Artists Include: Rachel Hutsell (Ballet) is a member of the corps in the esteemed New York City Ballet. She is regularly cast in a wide variety of repertoire. She has collaborated with several choreographers, including Troy Schumacher, Gianna Reisen, Peter Walker and Justin Peck; Broadway Veteran Stephenie Pope (Fosse) has appeared in over 10 Broadway shows including Pippin, Chicago, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Fosse, Kiss of the Spider Woman. Stephanie has the distinct honor of having been hand-picked to work with the legendary director/choreographer, Bob Fosse, along with his former wife and muse, Gwen Verdon and holds the distinct and treasured title of being a “Fosse Dancer”; Kim Stroud (Graham) was a Principal Soloist with the Martha Graham Dance Company for 11 years. Stroud has also danced and toured with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, performed in the Universal Studio film production of The Wiz, and as a guest artist with Katherine Dunham and the Gemini Dance Company; Stephen Hankey (Afro Caribbean) was a founding member of The National Dance Theatre Company of Trinidad and Tobago, where he performed nationally and internationally. In addition, he was also a member of the Trinidad Theatre Workshop and Peter Minshall’s Callaloo Company of Trinidad and Tobago; Melissa Craig (Introduction to Stilt Walking) is a founding Company member of Island Reflections Dance Theatre Company and a current company member and teaching artists for the Judy Dworin Performance Project. And, Christine Kershaw (Horton) of the Elm City Dance Collaborative.

To register, contact CDA Board Member Alexis Melonopoulos Fleury at alexafleury@gmail.com. For those interested in sponsoring a young dancer, make a tax-deductible donation here: https:// www.ctdanceall.org/support/. The is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing public awareness of dance in all its forms and serving the needs of the state-wide dance community. For more information about the CDA, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Dance including a complete schedule and full guest artist bios visit www.ctdanceall.org.